ספר דברים

Yom Kippur is a day of forgiveness and pardon, in general and in particular; and there is forgiveness for the sin of the golden calf on it. As they, may their memory be blessed, said about the verse, "however on the day when I take account of them, I will take their sin into account" - that there is no accounting in which the sin of the calf is not included. And the reason is because all sins were caused through it afterwards. And likewise - the positive trait being greater - there is no forgiveness that does not have forgiveness of the sin of the calf in it. For also all of the repentances that the Children of Israel always do are all from the power of the repentance and the forgiveness of the generation of the desert. This is as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said, that that generation was not fitting for that sin, but it only [happened] to teach [the concept of] repentance. Hence anytime that the Children of Israel repent, it arouses the merit of the generation of the desert. And each year, a little of he sin is erased; until in the future the whole sin will be rectified, and the Children of Israel will merit to be what they were worthy to be before the sin, as it is written (Psalms 82:6), "I said you were powers (elohim, here being understood as angels)." And hence on Yom Kippur, they are like angels; and that is a sign that they will be holy beings in the future. And the Children of Israel fast with joy, to say that they look forward to returning to that earlier level, such that we will not need eating or drinking, but rather just to be nourished from the luster of the Divine Presence like angels. And since we remember the valor of the generation of the desert by way of forgiveness; hence the commandment of Sukkot is after Yom Kippur. As it is written (Jeremiah 2:2), "I accounted to your favor the devotion of your youth" - the merit of the generation of the desert (who dwelled in huts). Since it is through sin that merit was extinguished, and it is through repentance that merit becomes aroused again. This is as Rabbenu Yonah, may his memory be blessed, wrote in Shaarei Teshuvah on the verse (Hoshea 14:3), "forgive guilt, and accept what is good." See there.